Generating political priority for breastfeeding and the adoption of Kenya's 2012 BMS act: the importance of women's leadership.

IF 5.9 2区 医学 Q1 PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH
Maryanne Wamahiu, Phillip Baker, Tim Dorlach
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引用次数: 0

Abstract

Background: The World Health Organization recommends initiating breastfeeding in the first hour of life, exclusive breastfeeding for six months, and continued breastfeeding for at least two years. Aggressive marketing of breast milk substitutes (BMS) undermines breastfeeding and is linked to adverse child and maternal health outcomes. This is particularly problematic in the Global South, where socioeconomic conditions often amplify the risks associated with BMS. The adoption of national BMS legislation in line with the 1981 International Code of Marketing of Breast-milk Substitutes is therefore crucial but difficult due to strong opposition from the transnational formula milk industry. Breastfeeding advocates in Kenya were able to overcome this powerful opposition when the country adopted a strict BMS Act in 2012, which has since facilitated and protected remarkable improvements in breastfeeding rates. We conduct a qualitative case study to identify the political enablers of the successful adoption of this important law.

Results: BMS legislation was first politically debated in Kenya in the 1980s following mobilization of women-led civil society organizations, namely the Breastfeeding Information Group and the Maendeleo ya Wanawake Organization. The issue re-emerged on the political agenda in the 2000s but faced opposition from the transnational formula milk industry. Kenya's BMS Act was ultimately adopted during a policy window opened by a constitutional reform. Support for the adoption of this landmark law was led by effective female political leaders, including public health minister Beth Mugo, the ministry's nutrition division head Terrie Wefwafwa, and members of the Kenya Women's Parliamentary Association. In the formulation and adoption of the law, these female leaders received important support from international organizations, such as the United Nations Children's Fund, as well as from powerful male allies, including president Mwai Kibaki.

Conclusions: The Kenyan case illustrates how women's political leadership can counteract the power of the transnational formula milk industry and help achieve strict BMS legislation. Effective female leadership for BMS legislation can occur in various political offices and positions, including those of ministers, legislators and bureaucrats. Female leaders can leverage their own influence by strategically exploiting policy windows and recruiting male allies.

为母乳喂养制定政治优先事项并通过肯尼亚2012年母乳喂养管理法案:妇女领导的重要性。
背景:世界卫生组织建议在出生后一小时开始母乳喂养,纯母乳喂养6个月,并持续母乳喂养至少两年。母乳代用品(BMS)的积极营销破坏了母乳喂养,并与不良的儿童和孕产妇健康结果有关。这在全球南方尤其成问题,那里的社会经济条件往往会放大与BMS相关的风险。因此,根据1981年《国际母乳代用品销售守则》通过国家BMS立法是至关重要的,但由于跨国配方奶行业的强烈反对,这一点很难实现。肯尼亚的母乳喂养倡导者在2012年通过了严格的母乳喂养管理法案,从而克服了这一强大的反对力量,促进并保护了母乳喂养率的显著改善。我们进行了定性案例研究,以确定成功通过这一重要法律的政治促成因素。结果:在妇女领导的民间社会组织(即母乳喂养信息小组和Maendeleo ya Wanawake组织)的动员下,20世纪80年代,肯尼亚首次就母乳喂养法立法进行了政治辩论。这个问题在21世纪初再次出现在政治议程上,但遭到了跨国配方奶粉行业的反对。肯尼亚的BMS法案最终是在宪法改革打开的政策窗口期间通过的。支持通过这项具有里程碑意义的法律是由卓有成效的女性政治领导人领导的,其中包括公共卫生部长贝丝·穆戈(Beth Mugo)、卫生部营养司司长特里·韦法瓦(Terrie Wefwafwa)以及肯尼亚妇女议会协会的成员。在法律的制定和通过过程中,这些女性领导人得到了联合国儿童基金会等国际组织以及包括姆瓦伊·齐贝吉(Mwai Kibaki)总统在内的强大男性盟友的重要支持。结论:肯尼亚的案例说明了妇女的政治领导如何能够抵消跨国配方奶粉行业的力量,并有助于实现严格的BMS立法。有效的女性领导BMS立法可以出现在各种政治办公室和职位上,包括部长、立法者和官僚。女性领导人可以通过战略性地利用政策窗口和招募男性盟友来利用自己的影响力。
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来源期刊
Globalization and Health
Globalization and Health PUBLIC, ENVIRONMENTAL & OCCUPATIONAL HEALTH-
CiteScore
18.40
自引率
1.90%
发文量
93
期刊介绍: "Globalization and Health" is a pioneering transdisciplinary journal dedicated to situating public health and well-being within the dynamic forces of global development. The journal is committed to publishing high-quality, original research that explores the impact of globalization processes on global public health. This includes examining how globalization influences health systems and the social, economic, commercial, and political determinants of health. The journal welcomes contributions from various disciplines, including policy, health systems, political economy, international relations, and community perspectives. While single-country studies are accepted, they must emphasize global/globalization mechanisms and their relevance to global-level policy discourse and decision-making.
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